Search form

When should I visit the Writing Center for help?

We encourage you to visit us any time. You don't even need an assignment. All you really need is the desire to improve as a writer. After all, we're writers and, at its core, the Writing Center is a community of student writers helping one another. So if you just want to chat generally about writing, why you like it, why it scares or frustrates you, what gives you trouble, whatever, we're happy to oblige.

If you want help with a specific assignment, you should keep a couple things in mind.

First, we are ready to assist you at any stage of the writing process, from planning written work to writing and revising it. We can help if you:

Are struggling to interpret your professor's assignment instructions.

Understand the assignment but can't come up with an idea. Or you have an idea but can't find the words to capture it clearly and concisely.

Have a clear and concise idea but aren't sure how it might work as an argument or thesis statement.

Have a clear argument or thesis but can't figure out how to support or develop it.

Have a lot of the development finalized for a paper but can't find a way to organize it effectively.

Have problems with citing sources.

Have difficulty with style, grammar and punctuation.

Are trying to revise but don't understand your professor's written comments. Maybe you can read your professor's comments but don't know what he or she means by, "Your writing is neither unified nor coherent."

Whatever the scenario and whenever it occurs, we can help - or, at the very least, we'll exhaust ourselves trying to help.

Second, you should visit well in advance of the assignment due date. You will want adequate time to implement or utilize what we discuss during your session. You may also need more than one session.